IchiHime Week 2019 - Seven Moments of Love
by Morlin
Summary: Seven short stories that celebrate the bonds of love between Ichigo and Orihime.
1. Soulmates

**Hello there. Old school fanfic writer here who noticed that there's a week celebrating IchiHime going on now and I just felt a bit inspired to write participate and write something for one of my favorite fictional pairings.**

**We'll see if I'm able to get something up for each day. Until then, here's the first chapter. A drabble of sorts around the theme Soulmates.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

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Ichigo Kurosaki did not believe in destiny. He didn't think that there was any weave of fate or greater design to how the world revolved or what events occurred in it. He felt certain that things just happened at random and that everybody did their best to steer it all in whatever way suited them. Part of it was because of how many pivotal moments of his life had been manufactured by outside forces (a gentle and pleasant substitute term for power hungry madmen) rather than fated events leading him towards outcomes predetermined by some cosmic plan. But mostly it was because it made sense to him that things just happened and he had to deal with it. The one person that might make him question this point of view was currently sleeping next to him, giggling in her sleep.

Orihime Kurosaki tossed and turned gently on her side of the bed as the summer morning sun started peeking through the curtains of their bedroom. That mere instinctual motion of hers caused a huge grin to form on Ichigo's face and he almost forgot about how grumpy he was to be awake and partly sitting up so early as a word floated around in his mind.

_Soulmates_

He'd heard several people describe his and Orihime's relationship as such and it made him feel conflicted. Because, again, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't believe in destiny, and that included the whole idea of a red thread connecting him to his wife. But even then, he found that he couldn't reject the notion that Orihime was his soulmate.

He laid down fully again, wrapped both arms around Orihime's waist and gently pulled the slumbering love of his life closer to his chest. He caressed her arms and marveled at how soft she was, and as he took a deep breath to inhale her scent a wave of relaxation coursed through him. And as his mind became more tranquil a single thought drifted around in him. "_You complete me._"

Ichigo thought back to the powers he possessed from his hybrid lineage and how they allowed him to fight in order to save others, including his loved ones. But he could only ever do that by attacking enemies as all of his abilities only increased his combat capabilities. Orihime on the other hand had powers that could protect and heal others without ever attacking anyone, she was his opposite and they complemented one another. If Ichigo was the sword that struck down villains to defend others, then Orihime was the shield that guarded the same people from harm. They were partners that matched together perfectly to protect those that they held dear and beyond.

As the comfort of embracing his wife lulled Ichigo further into sleep he recalled the times his very being had been affected by her. The depression that gripped him when she'd disappeared. The way his resolve to stay on his chosen path would strengthen when she reaffirmed her trust and confidence in him. The universal sense of ease he felt whenever he could see her safe after a harrowing experience. No one else could shatter and rebuild him so easily with their mere presence, and he gladly relinquished this power to her simply because it felt so right.

He had a purpose and goals before expressing his feelings for her and finding them reciprocated, and he'd convinced himself that he was content with only having her in his life as a friend and watching her be happy. But that was a falsehood that could only last for so long. And as he cast away the lie and declared his true feelings the shock, relief and joy he felt when knowing that she felt the same for him never became overwhelming. Instead, it felt as though a missing piece of his world had been found and everything clicked together so naturally.

Ichigo lightly kissed Orihime's neck and tightened his embrace before he drifted completely to sleep, grateful thoughts echoing through his head.

"_You are the love of my life. You are the sun my world centers around. You complete me. My soulmate._"

When Ichigo had fallen asleep, Orihime lazily stroked her husband's fingers were they rested on her arms. She'd partly woken up once Ichigo's arms circled around her but she quickly understood that he wasn't going to remain awake for very long so she just let him be and quietly enjoyed the attention given to her.

Once she was certain he was asleep Orihime closed the already minimal distance between their bodies before her mind also closed itself to the rest of the waking world. All the praise and love and sense of completion her husband had towards her was perfectly mirrored by Orihime. He was her gentle and funny and dashing hero who always did the right thing and constantly inspired her to do her best. He was her equal partner and perfect opposite. He was the warm and loving soul she'd found a home with.

"_You are my one true love. You are my hero. You complete me. My soulmate._" With silent praise and adoration in her heart, soul and mind, Orihime joined Ichigo in the land of dreams.

Maybe it was destiny that had created a red thread that connected them. Or maybe their souls just happened to fit together and resonate perfectly with one another. Or maybe it wasn't even as deep as that. Maybe they're just two people that work really well with one another. Maybe it didn't matter as long as they loved each other.

Whatever the truth is, here they lay together, content and happy and eternally in love with each other.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Kurosaki.

Husband and wife.

Lovers.

Soulmates.

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**That was nice and fun to write. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and hope you have a lovely day.**


	2. Rain

**Hello again, here we are for day two. I'm really pleased with how this one turned out. I had a way more ambitious idea at first but that would've required going through every single meaningful mention of rain in the manga and trying to fit them all in and bunch of other things. It would've been way to complicated, so I opted for a much simpler approach which I think fits IchiHime much better.**

**Anyway, here's chapter two.**

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Dark clouds littered the sky and blocked out the sun's warming and illuminating shine from reaching even the peaks of the urban metropolis known as Karakura town. In the place of life-giving light energy, a seemingly infinite army of chilled droplets bombarded the city and all the pedestrians who dared to escape the confines of their home for a brief stroll without the forethought to anticipate a tempered but infuriating shower from the darkened heavens.

Amongst those unfortunate individuals was one Ichigo Kurosaki and he faced the mild tempest with an agitated fervor that was greater than most.

"Oh great, rain." His curt muttering was an attempt to hide the myriad of negative connotations he had of rain from the world around him, but it was far too little to defend himself as his mind already sought out old sorrows and downtrodden hopes to grip his heart with.

His mother bleeding to death in his arms because of his naivety.

The failure of helping the one who had changed his life.

Despair overwhelming his very being as treacherous new comrades made a mockery of him.

Facing ineptitude that would keep him from aiding friends and allies in their darkest hour.

All of them, and more scenes like them, were sad and hurtful moments that would have ruined him had he not overcome them with his own powers, mental fortitude and circle of support. However, despite conquering every soul crushing setback thrown his way and constantly coming back stronger and more self-aware, the rain had made its mark in his mind as an oppressive reminder of the worst moments in his life.

Ichigo looked down upon his palms and reflexively sent an inkling of the awesome might dwelling within his spirit through his appendages as he contemplated using said power to just blast away the rain clouds covering his city. Alas, as the first large invading wave of sky liquid splashed all over him and his surroundings, Ichigo reminded himself that it was far too frivolous and selfish a use of his power.

"Well, that's it for our walk then." Ichigo exhaled along with his previously good natured mood, accepting that today's excursion was ruined.

"Santen Kesshun." A melodious voice to his immediate right called out and instantly there was no more rain falling down upon Ichigo's person. The increasingly intense torrent continued its assault on the cityscape, but a bright orange light that hovered an arm's length above Ichigo shielded him and its owner completely.

Ichigo turned to face his companion's smiling visage and sheepish demeanor as she ran her hands through her long, luscious, and currently partly soaked, burnt orange hair.

"Heh, we really should've checked the weather report before heading out. Sorry about not putting up the barrier sooner. I was responding to a text from Tatsuki." Orihime's bright mood, unimpeded by the change of weather, and colorful but wet clothing stood out as a sharp contrast to the rain covered streets and buildings around the two, like a beautiful painting that forever framed itself in Ichigo's heart.

"No, no. This is fine." With each word Ichigo could feel his melancholy get shooed away by a sunny surge of contentment and unabashed joy that relaxed his stance and made his lips curve upward into a loving and appreciative smirk. "Are you sure this is ok though? What if somebody sees us not getting touched by the rain?"

Orihime chuckled, the sound of which eased Ichigo's spirits even further and made him adore her more in the moment than he thought possible, she was brightness and warmth embodied as the person who was the most dear to him. "That would probably look weird since they can't see my barrier. And if they don't like rain then they might be jealous. Or they might think that we're divine beings walking the mortal planes on a whim. Ichigo! We mustn't let them start a religion that revolves around us!"

The earnestness with which Orihime voiced her ludicrous fear would give pause to even the staunchest of her friends and complete strangers would reconsider approaching her all together. Ichigo however merely chuckled lovingly and gently grasped one of her hands in his before replying. "Most regular people will probably just shrug it off as a weird optical illusion or something. But if I see anybody start praying to us I'll set them straight."

"Good! Then I'll look out for anybody wanting to build shrines in our name." Orihime exclaimed, jubilant that they had a plan of action in case there was any indication that their simple stroll became the basis of a sacrilegious new source of worship, and she was about to further impress how pleased she was with their readiness when Ichigo stopped her short by lifting the hand of hers he was holding and softly pressing his lips onto it once before lowering it again and smiling calmly and gratefully at her.

Sensing the innumerable emotions behind his actions, Orihime stepped closer to him and caressed the side of his face with her free hand. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. The rain just bummed me out a bit." He revealed unhesitantly with a sigh that seemingly carried the majority of his angst fueled worries and regrets into the air where it dissipated into past moments with no power. "But then you just were just your amazing self and you made my day. Thank you."

A blushed rose up on Orihime's cheeks and she clumsily touched her flowing hair to simultaneously distract herself from being overwhelmed by the weight of sincere affection radiating from Ichigo and give herself time to think up a perfect response.

"A-anything for you, Ichigo. I love you." She totally nailed it.

"I love you too." Ichigo replied back and leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss was long yet chaste, managing to convey the abundance of gratitude, affection, love, joy and desire the leading roles of this simple tale share for one another before their lips parted, but their hands remained intertwined as they resumed their walk in silence, as if keeping their very deepest most genuine emotions a shared secret from the rest of the world.

The rain continued for most of the day but did not come close to touching or bothering the loving couple, and though Ichigo would forever associate it with pain he was comforted that he was in orbit around a sun that shone so brightly it could pierce even the darkest and most foreboding rain clouds with ease.

The failures and misfortunes of his past were behind him, and his road towards the future was forever shared with his one true love.

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**That was fun. I liked spicing up such a simple premise with some extra flowery language. I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a comment if you did. Hope you have a lovely day.**


	3. Late Night Talks

**Ahhh! I had no idea what to do with this one so I just turned it into a silly but loving family night with the bonus of getting to include baby Kazui into the mix.**

**It's a different kind of love, but still very much shipping goodness.**

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As the sun was setting and darkness began to overtake Karakura town, one Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in comfortable dark blue slacks and light blue t-shirt, was finishing up the evening's dishes as he heard the two most wonderful sounds he could think of travel into the kitchen from the living room.

"And they can move from one place to another before you can blink. Actually, a lot of people we know can do that. Oh, but they all make different noises when they do." The first was a pleasant and bubbly voice that belonged to his wife. And it was instantly followed by the unmistakable laughter of a baby enjoying the conversation even though it didn't really understand it.

Ichigo grinned as he wiped off the last plate and placed it into a cupboard with the rest of its brethren silverware. He then entered the living room to join the spirited conversation. Currently Orihime, dressed in a nice pink blouse and long yellow skirt was moving her left hand quickly from one area to another as she talked, while at the same time keeping their baby boy, Kazui, stable in her lap with her right hand.

"Shinigami, like auntie Rukia and uncle Renji, go like Fwoosh, Fwoosh." She explained as Kazui was mesmerized by her moving hand, he bounced a bit in her lap and reached out for his mother's rapid appendage. "And arrancar, like auntie Nel, go like zzzt zzzt." She held her hand close enough to Kazui that he could grab onto it, but then she pulled it up above her head with a zzzt noise. A delighted giggle escaped Kazui's mouth and he applauded the action as best he could with his little hands. Ichigo approached the two from behind, just enjoying the bonding moment between mother and son.

"And quincy, like uncle Uryu go…" Orihime hesitated and placed a finger on her chin as she pondered. "Hmm, what sounds does a quincy make when they zip around now again?"

"Quincys," Ichigo began as he leaped above the couch's back and landed comfortably on the other side of his family. "Sound pretty similar to Shinigami, but it's more like they're gliding through the air." He said with a confident smirk as Orihime's eyes grew wide and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Right, right. They go fwazzh, fwazzah." She resumed swiping her hand around to Kazui's amusement, and eventually she even let him grab on to it. The little boy triumphantly nuzzled his nose into his mother's palm and hummed at the pleasant feeling.

"So, what brought on this really specific topic?" Ichigo asked as he scooched closer to his family.

"I was just telling Kazui about all our friends and their power when I realized how all our friends make different noises when they're zipping around and I thought it was funny because they're basically doing the same thing and yet they sound different." Orihime explained as she ruffled Kazui's hair and mimicked Ichigo's motions to get closer to her husband.

"Yeah, that's always kinda confused me." Ichigo admitted as the couple sat next to each other with no noticeable distance. "But not enough for me to give it much thought. Though, we probably shouldn't mention it to any of them. They'll just get insulted or something and overreact."

Orihime giggled at the accurate assumption when Kazui pushed himself up in his mother's lap and reached out to Ichigo. "Dahdah." Ichigo smiled and Orihime suppressed a squeal as her husband picked up their son and held him close enough for the boy to reach out and touch his father's face.

"Hi buddy, how are you feeling tonight? Still up for more fun." The one year old laughed merrily and energetically while patting at his father with his tiny hands, signifying that he was ready for an all-nighter of fun with his parents.

Then his body sagged as he fell asleep. Only for him to raise his head laughing again half a minute later. Which he followed up with falling asleep again just as quickly. This happened over and over a few more times until Ichigo hugged Kazui closer to him and the little boy rested his head on his father's shoulder.

Orihime gazed adoringly and her two worlds and gently stroke Kazui's hair. "Looks like somebody's tuckered out. Which makes sense, we had a lot of fun playing with trains and dinosaurs today."

"Trains and dinosaurs?" Ichigo asked with a smirk and cocked eyebrow.

"Yupp. They were dance battling it out for the fate of the multiverse with starcrossed lovers from both sides caught in the middle." The excitement built up in her eyes with each words and Ichigo could tell that she was ready to recite intricate plot details from her playtime with Kazui, and he couldn't stop himself form smiling at it all.

"Who came up with the premise for that epic story?" He asked with just a hint of teasing sarcasm while holding Kazui close to him so that the little boy could rest on his father as the entire family began moving up towards the bathroom. The parents silently agreeing that it was time to prep their son for bed.

"Kazui came up with the basic idea and I helped him iron out the details." Orihime explained proudly while following her husband and son.

"So he brought out the toys he wanted to play with and you made funny voices while playing with him." Ichigo clarified, a teasing edge sharpened the comment as it was launched towards Orihime who easily deflected it with her good nature.

"Exactly. Now do you want to hear the epic tale we put together or not?" She singsang in response and was awarded with a mirthful chuckle.

"I would love to hear it. Go right ahead." Ichigo replied genuinely.

And so Orihime regaled Ichigo with the adventures of the Dinosty and their rivals the Railgime while he prepared the baby bathtub for Kazui, handing the boy over to Orihime as she narrated. It was a completely ridiculous story as one should expect from something that originated as a playtime fun between a mother and son, but she told it with such excitement and earnestness that Ichigo couldn't help but be partly swept along with the staggeringly imaginative world that his wife and son had created. And as if summoned into the waking world by the mention of his name, Kazui suddenly woke up and started babbling along with his mother as if he wished to join her in the retelling.

"Look who's up just in time for his bath then." Orihime cooed. "Did you hear me talk about how much fun we had today?" She eskimokissed her child and Kazui gleefully latched onto the sides off his mother's face for his underdeveloped but still loving form of a hug.

Ichigo let them be for a moment or two before reluctantly separating them. "Come here buddy. Gotta get you clean before bedtime. Then you can dream all you want about dinosaurs and trains and dancing." Kazui laughed as his clothes were removed and Ichigo placed him in the bathtub.

Orihime joined Ichigo's side as he began to wash off their son in a fatherly yet playful manner. She reveled in the domestic bliss when a thought struck her.

"It's your day off tomorrow, right?" Orihime asked remembering his schedule.

"Yup, do you and Kazui want to do something special or are you going to be busy continuing the dinosaur and train thing?" Ichigo asked while rinsing their son with warm water, the little boy laughing and trying to catch his father's hands.

"Let's all go to the park. That'll be fun." Orihime mused and leaned into her husband and sighed contentedly. "Kazui can wander around all he wants on the grass. We'll bring a ball we can all play with and we'll make a picnic together in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan. I can call, Chad, Ishida, Tatsuki and the others. See if they want to join in. And even if they can't, we three can still have fun." Ichigo suggested as he massaged Kazui's head with soap as the boy gurgled while gazing up at his father with adoring eyes.

"Yeah. That would be great." Orihime stated simply since she was completely enraptured by Ichigo's casual display of fatherhood as he expertly washed Kazui's body and the little boy happily went along with everything.

"You wanna turn in early?" Ichigo suddenly asked when he was finished with the washing and reached for a towel. "After we put this little guy to bed it might be a good idea for us to start getting ready. I mean, we still have to set away stuff and all that, but you get what I mean."

"That sounds smart. We can get up early tomorrow then and make all that food and get everything else ready too and maybe catch the earliest sunlight. Heh, wouldn't it be funny if you could actually catch sunlight. But then you'd have to take care of it, feed and take it out for walks. But there wouldn't be any guides on how to take care of it since nobody else has cared for sentient light before. And ooh!" Orihime gasped lightly as Ichigo suddenly placed Kazui in her hands and the boy instantly leaned into and hugged her.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt. But if we're really going to bed early then we should get to it, and he seemed like he wanted to cuddle a bit with mommy now. You can keep going. I personally think I'd be annoyed by having to take care of constantly blinding light." Ichigo explained while the two of them set off towards Kazui's room.

"That would be a problem too. Oh, what if you had on cool sunglasses all the time." The conversation continued as Kazui was dressed in his black pajamas with poorly drawn rabbits all over them. The little boy constantly made noises that sounded as though he wanted to join in on the conversation, but the need for sleep was once again overwhelming him after being roused by fun bathtime with his parents.

"I think we're just finding more and more problems with having sentient sunlight as a pet. Seems like too much of a hassle." Ichigo declared right before placing Kazui in his crib as the littlest Kurosaki yawned.

"Yeah, you're right. But it could've been fun." A thought struck Orihime and she chuckled. "Hey, do you think Kazui will want a pet one day?"

Ichigo paused for a moment, thinking over the possibilities and met the closing eyes of his son. "Maybe. But let's wait to ask him until he's a little older. And it'd have to be something that could keep up with him otherwise he'd run circles around the poor thing." They took a moment to imagine a cat or dog or sentient sunbeam becoming exhausted trying to chase after their energetic little boy and before long the couple had to contain their laughter so as to not give new energy to Kazui.

Kazui remained unaware of the discussion and fell into a deep slumber soon after being tucked in. Ichigo and Orihime took a moment to just stare in awe at the little miracle they'd created.

"He is breathtaking." Orihime whispered before brushing Kazui's tiny forehead with a kiss.

"He really is. Sleep well son. We'll see you tomorrow." Ichigo mused as he tucked Kazui in a little more before the couple left their son to frolic in the land of dreams. And as Ichigo left the door slightly ajar and Orihime's hairpin scattered into orange streaks of light that settled in Kazui's room too look over him, the couple gazed at one another and they just couldn't imagine being any happier than right now.

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**I don't think I really have much else to say. I just want to see the two dorks happy and blissful. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a comment if you did and I hope you have a lovely day.**


	4. I missed you

**And I have officially reached the point were I'm scrambling to get one of these out. Oh well, this is still fun.**

**This is the only chapter that'll take place in a specific spot in the manga timeline. Specifically it's right after Ichigo has defeated Yhwach.**

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Hours passed after the final blow had been dealt but it seemed like blurry minutes to Ichigo. Official Soul Society forces of varying ranks gathered around him and carried off Yhwach's corpse and did their best to reseal Aizen before he recovered too much. Renji convinced people gathering around them to back off for now and give Ichigo some space before finding a spot where they could sit down and breathe a well-earned sigh of relief. It wasn't every day that you saved all of existence from a wannabe god.

But that's exactly the insane feat Ichigo had pulled off. He'd overcome Yhwach's ability to alter the future and struck a killing blow to the quincy emperor, thus preventing him from destroying and reshaping the world in accordance with his own desires. And now Ichigo was physically, mentally and emotionally drained, and a sit down was just what he needed.

At least that's what he thought. But it felt like something was still missing.

"What about everybody else who were with us at the Soul King's palace?" He exclaimed with a tired voice. Renji and Uryu, the only two of his friends who had managed to follow him down to the final battle, met Ichigo's sudden jolt with momentarily wide eyes which swiftly mellowed down.

"Don't worry about it." Renji said calmly and with confidence. "Yhwach was the last enemy and there were still a few captains up and about. They'll keep everybody safe and get them back down here before too long."

"Besides," Uryu followed with his natural matter of the fact tone. "The gateway Ywach opened to get here closed soon after my exit. We're out of immediate means to reach whatever remains of the Soul King's palace. The only thing we can do is to wait for them to regroup up there and return down."

What they said made sense and Ichigo honestly felt too tired to worry when he firmly trusted his friends and the captains to take care of each other. But he couldn't shake the unrest that was crawling around in him and urged him to find a way to reunite with his other friends as quickly as possible. However, for once his actual fatigue and aches won out and he had to sit down for now and mull things over.

So that's what he did for the next few hours. He sat down and thought about all sorts of things to keep himself occupied. Uryu eventually did the same thing since he had his own share of things to contemplate while Renji left the two to see if he could help with directing any of the recovery efforts around the Gotei 13 headquarters.

Ichigo first distracted himself from the unease by thinking about his powers and what was going on with them. Yhwach had drained away Ichigo's quincy powers and broken his zanpakuto, but Orihime had been able to restore it, he needed to thank her for that and for fighting by his side, and as he killed Yhwach his zanpakuto broke down to a previous version of itself. The intricate workings of his own powers still baffled Ichigo and he switched to a new topic before his mind overheated.

He'd been warned that he might need to come live in Soul Society depending on how things developed. Which would mean saying goodbye to his regular life in the human world, and that was something he wasn't ready to give up at all. His friends in Soul Society were near and dear to him, but he didn't want to leave his life, family and friends in his home behind already. He had plans regarding his after school career, family and who he wanted to marry, he really hoped Orihime was ok.

Ichigo caught his stray thought and realized the implication and tried to steer his mind in another direction. But no matter how he tried he couldn't stop worrying about his friends still stuck in the Soul King's palace, so he tried to look on it form an optimistic perspective.

"_Rukia and Chad are up there, they're more reliable than us so they'll be fine. And they can look after Ganju. There were a ton of captains up there as well. Toshiro, Byakuya, Kenpachi and several more. If I can't trust them to look after the others and themselves, who can I trust. Really hoping that Ginjo and Tsukishima don't try anything, but I think they're trying to atone or something so that'll hopefully be fine. Orihime was hurt fighting by my side, but she'll be ok, she has to be. She's come so far since the first time we entered Soul Society. At first, I protected her with all my might, but this time she was my shield and we all rely on her healing abilities all the time. I really need to thank her. So she has to be ok._"

He kept mulling over similar thoughts without keeping track of time and was startled when Renji smacked the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?"

Renji just pointed his thumb up at the sky. "They're back now." Ichigo eyes followed Renji's direction and he saw a large pillar fall from the sky at massive speeds. Ichigo stood up just as the pillar slammed down into the ground with a giant thud a ways outside of the Gotei 13 headquarters.

For an instant Ichigo forgot about his exhaustion and flashstepped over to the landing site. The last time he'd seen the pillar transport to the Soul King's palace, the landing had been flawless and the transport stood up perfectly on its own. This time however it stood with a slight tilt and smoke billowed out from cracks in it. Ichigo feared the worst when the transport's front door was kicked open.

"Sorry about the rough landing. After everything that's happened some issues are to be expected. Hope nobody was squished." A loud boisterous voice called out and Ichigo recognized its owner, the High Priest Ichibei Hyosube of the Zero squad. He looked roughed up but seemed to be in a good mood which gave Ichigo hope that everyone was alright.

"Will you calm down and not just zip away like that?" Renji reprimanded as he suddenly appeared behind Ichigo and smacked the back of his head again.

"Stop doing that, I can barely stand as it is!" Ichigo roared back as Uryu appeared beside the two.

"Really, you should be used to Ichigo's thoughtless and reckless behavior by now. Expecting anything else is a folly on your end Renji." Normally Ichigo would continue the shouting argument but kept it to an indignant muttering and approached the pillar as more and more Shinigami began flashstepping in.

"Ah excellent!" Ichibei called out. "A welcoming committee can only mean good news for us!" He was approached by some high ranking Shinigami that informed him of the situation, but Ichigo didn't pay it any mind and instead zeroed in on the people that were welling out of the transport.

Various captains, lieutenants and vaizards with different levels of battle damage appeared one by one. The battle crazy Kenpachi of all people looked especially wrecked to the point of needing to be rolled around on a stretcher. And he wasn't the only one. Urahara, Yoruichi and her brother Yushiro, Grimmjow and Neliel all needed the same kind of assistance and Ichigo became worried again. These were some of the strongest people he knew and they were this badly hurt. What if there had been an enemy remaining as he hunted after Yhwach and they'd done all this damage. Was everybody really safe, had Orihime been safe up there?

More followed, but luckily nobody else was as injured as the ones in the stretchers. Then finally, Ichigo saw his father, and barely had any time to wonder how and when he got there, talking to a long white haired man Renji identified as captain Hitsugaya's older brother, and they were followed by Chad and Rukia who were both supporting Orihime, who looked even more exhausted than Ichigo felt.

"Guys!" Ichigo hurried over to the three of them shortly followed by Renji and Uryu. "You're all right. You are ok, right?"

"Of course we are." Rukia chided. "We just had to find everybody who was injured after all the fighting and then find a way to get back down."

"Orihime took on healing duties and pushed herself just to get everybody into a stable condition." Chad explained and nodded to his friend who was breathing heavily and hanging her head down.

Rukia continued the explanation. "But she pulled it off and everyone is basically ok thanks to her. And I take it that you were successful as well then." She finished with a smirk and Renji clasped a hand onto Ichigo's shoulder.

"Sure did. This guy here landed the final blow on that Yhwach-bastard and saved the day. Uryu helped too." Renji clarified with a loud voice.

"Pardon, I do believe that giving Ichigo the opening he needed is worthy of a bit more than just a foot note." Uryu remarked indignantly which Renji followed up with some further teasing. All of which went unnoticed by Ichigo as Orihime suddenly looked up and spoke with a hoarse voice.

"Ichigo-kun? You're ok." She said as unease visibly evaporated from her face and her lips curved into a small smile. "You're ok." She repeated as she pushed herself off from Chad and Rukia, thanking them for their assistance.

"Of course I am, I'm stupid tough." Ichigo remarked as his features loosened up and he felt his own anxious feelings die down as well. "But look at you. You've made a mess of yourself helping everybody. You're amazing."

"Yeah, I… I…" Orihime tried walking over to Ichigo but stumbled and fell forward, but Ichigo quickly caught her and gently lowered her to the ground, him on his knees and Orihime leaning into him. Neither of them noticed that Chad and Rukia had dragged Uryu and Renji a short distance away, affording Ichigo and Orihime some privacy. "Oh, I'm… I'm sleepy." Orihime muttered.

"Of course you are. Think about how many people you just saved. Why didn't you try to sleep or something when everbody were stable?" Ichigo's tone was less reprimanding and more genuinely concerned but too elated to really be bothered by her actions and lack of self-care.

Orihime looked Ichigo straight in the eyes and smiled the biggest most genuine smile he'd ever seen. "I needed to see that you were ok as well, silly." And with a boldness born from exhaustion she looped her arms around Ichigo and tightly hugged him.

It took the boy who had just saved the world a few moments to respond to the intimate action as his face turned red. All of his nerves unwounded and a sense of relaxed satisfaction hit him. Orihime was right here, right now. She was safe and sound. His last worry on this most trying day left him in a hurry and he took the time to just enjoy the wondrous sense of relaxed contentment that the moment presented him with. He was well aware that Orihime meant the world to him and more. Though he'd refrained from acting on his feelings for several years now, this time Ichigo decided to give in to them just a little bit and hugged Orihime back just as tightly.

"Of course I'm ok." He muttered almost lovingly with a quiet voice. "I missed you, but you're here now."

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**I'll be honest, I'm not 100% happy with this one. But I really needed to get it out today so, it is what it is. If Kubo had been healthy enough to put more chapters I'm pretty sure he would've given Ichigo and Orihime at least one more scene before the final chapter.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a comment if you did and I hope you have a lovely day.**


	5. Fantasy

**Hmmm...**

**I can already tell that I'm not that happy with this one. It's perfectly entertaining and fits into the theme of the day. But I think I was too ambitious with it and didn't give myself the time to really structure it properly.**

**Oh well, some times you miss a few like this. I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

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As consciousness returned to Ichigo the Moon-Slayer, what he heard and what he saw differed greatly.

He heard the sounds of a ferocious battle raging on a short distance beyond him. Blows of immense power that made the land quake, the ethereal eruptions of grand magical spells that shifted the world around them, his comrades shouting directions too another in order to gain even the smallest leeway in their desperate struggle and the terrifying otherworldly roar of their great enemy.

But the thing Ichigo saw beyond the healing white light that encompassed his body muffled the cacophony of combat. Orihime, cleric of the seven wings of faith, looked upon him with relief and tears in her eyes. She was dressed in a white cleric robe with wide sleeves, a hood and intricate golden markings that represented the seven deities that granted her power in exchange for her faithful worship. It had been pristine not one hour earlier, but was now covered in dirt and tears. But even with that her beautiful and kind visage stood to Ichigo as a sharp contrast to the violent and epic clash going on nearby.

"You're ok. I made it in time. Thank the gods." She cried out as the holy light shining from her fingertips faded away and she had to catch herself from falling to the ground from emotional exhaustion.

His wounds mostly healed, Ichigo pushed himself to sit up and recall the immediate situation as he regained his bearings.

He found that he was still clad in the black lightweight leather armor and magical cape of Haste that had become his signature outfit across the lands. And after a quick look around he found the dark blade Zangetsu rested by his side, most likely placed there by Orihime as she healed him he reasoned. The sword contained powerful dark flames that were one of the most potent weapons they had against their enemy, Aizen the voracious.

"_Aizen._" Ichigo turned his gaze in the direction of the battle and saw his friends fending off the grand vizard who had turned himself into a monstrous white dragon. "_They're all still alive, but they'll need my help. Even if it kills me._" With a pained grunt he tried to stand up again but stumbled onto his knees.

"Ichigo!" Orihime hurried to place her hands on his back to once again infuse him with restorative magic. "Sorry, I thought I'd finished. Just wait a little longer. I'll get you back up and then you can… then you can…"

"Is something wrong Orihime?" Ichigo asked noticing her hesitation. He could tell that it was something more than mere concern going through her mind and though there was a battle with the fate of the world at hand to win he couldn't ignore his natural instinct to care for Orihime's immediate wellbeing.

"You almost died protecting me." The cleric whimpered out after a quiet moment. "And I'm healing you just so that you can go out there and possibly die again." It was Ichigo's turn to hesitate as he recalled how he'd been knocked out.

As the conflict grew noticeably more frantic after the opening stages, Orihime had multiple times managed to use powerful barriers to blunt the effectiveness of Aizen's assault on her friends and allies. Once he'd noticed this annoyance, Aizen focused a massive blast of his frost breath on her while she was still protecting others from the outcome of his previous assault. The icy attack almost certainly would've killed Orihime had Ichigo not rushed in and pushed her aside, taking the entire blast head on in her place.

"_Orihime must've dragged me away to thaw me out and heal me. And now the others are fighting that monster with no healer and one fighter less. We can't let that situation stand for much longer. But…_" He glanced back at Orihime while feeling all his injuries disappearing and his vitality being restored from her magic. Streams of tears were still running down her face.

"I know that any of us could die today and I thought I was ready to handle it. But…" Any further words were cut off by her trying to restrain her sobbing, but Ichigo understood what she was going through. In the rush of a pitched battle it was only natural to set aside your emotions out of pure survival instinct. They'd both done it countless times before. But if there came even a moment where you stopped to focus on something besides the immediate fighting your emotions could overflow in that specific moment and knock you out of your battle focused state of mind. Moments such as saving a friend from dying.

Ichigo understood this as he was having a similar breakdown. He was looking at Orihime and remembering all the time they've spent together. All the laughs and discussions. Constantly saving each other and being there through tough times. She was his near and dear friend, and much more than that.

"_I could die today._" That statement had been true a number of times, but never had it been as likely as today. And in this moment right next to the clash raging on before him, Ichigo's mind was flooded with every single memory of Orihime from the day he'd met her and onwards. His course of action became clear.

He snapped around and reached for Orihime's hand, jostling her out of her own emotional overcharge and looking into her eyes with a steady and confident expression that bore into Orihime's very being, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I love you Orihime." Ichigo declared with a perfectly calm and simple tone that still managed to drown out the nearby sounds of war from Orihime's perspective. "I've loved you for a long time and not had the fortitude to tell you, and you deserve much better than such cowardice. I swear that neither I nor you nor any of our friends will die today. I will survive and I will show just how much I love you. As long as that is something you would wish for, of course. But we can't do this without you protecting us Orihime. Take a moment to regain your focus and then join us for one final adventure." He let go of her to rush back into the fray but Orihime instantly grabbed his wrist and he turned around to see her staring at him with absolute clarity and recovered confidence shining in her eyes.

"I love you too. Thank you." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear before running ahead of him. Ichigo stared after her for the briefest of moments when she shouted over her shoulder. "Come on Ichigo, let's help our friends save the world!"

Ichigo smirked in response and hurried after the woman he loved to win the battle and earn a long happy life together.

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**Two more to go. I will definitely do better with them. I hope you still found this to be a fun read, and I hope that you have a lovely day.**


	6. Bravery

**Ok, penulimate day of the IchiHime week and I am way more pleased with this one compared to the last two chapters.**

**It's way shorter, but it gets the point across just fine. I'm quite happy with it.**

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"Here you go Kurosaki-san. Just keep him close to you and make sure to support his head and you'll be fine." The nurse said with an experienced and calm tone that had eased hundreds of new parents into the first few steps of their new responsibility as she handed Ichigo Kurosaki the swaddle of towels that contained his newly born, and newly washed, baby boy.

The child was so light, it was easy for Ichigo to safely hold him in his arms and yet the weight of responsibility that the boy represented was daunting in every aspect of the word, but not in an unwelcome way. Looking down on his son, Ichigo primarily felt joy and excitement at this new addition to his life, and he was even more delighted that he'd get to share it with the one that'd brought this child into the world with him.

"Hi son," When spoken aloud the words just resonated so well with his entire being. "I'm you father. It's great to finally see you. Let's meet your mommy." Ichigo went to sit down next to the bed where his wife and mother of his child was resting after the arduous effort of giving birth. "Hey Orihime, are you feeling up to properly say high to the newest member of our family?"

Still taking heavy breaths, Orihime turned her head to Ichigo who was carefully holding up the boy she'd carried around inside her for nine months and a tired but overjoyed smile crept its way onto her face. "He's perfect. You're perfect." She chuckled mirthfully as the boy whinnied a bit and moved around as much as he could in his father's firm and secure hold.

"I think he liked the compliment." Ichigo joked and subconsciously adjusted his positioning, aiming to make it as comfortable as possible for the tiny person in his arms. Orihime nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Excuse me." The nurse called out, drawing the attention of the two parents. "We'll let you continue this bonding in a moment, but I just wanted to check if you've decided on a name yet?"

Ichigo and Orihime looked at each other and then at the tiny boy in Ichigo's arms. They'd naturally discussed several options for either gender, and by now they'd narrowed it down to a few that they were still juggling around. But as they looked upon their son he managed to partly and with great effort open his eyes and meet his parents' gaze for the first time. That simple action sent a wave of wonder through Ichigo and Orihime as their thoughts went to similar places.

Ichigo saw Orihime's genetic influence in the boy's eyes and was reminded of how she'd faced untold horrors and tragedy with sheer will and still lit up the world with her exuberance. Ichigo hoped that his son would take after Orihime's boundless energy, kindness and, most of all, her courage.

Orihime on the other hand recalled the heroic spirit that dwelled within Ichigo and remembered how he constantly braved over-powering foes and was led by his pure hearted goodness that made spirits hundreds of years old turn to his side when given the option. It was those attributes Orihime wished for her son.

Both saw the potential for the best of them to blossom within the little boy who was curiously staring up at them and there was only one name that they'd discussed that could possibly encompass every hope they had for him. They shared a quick glance and nodded.

"Yeah, his name is Kazui. Kazui Kurosaki." Ichigo declared with a soft voice and the nurse nodded with a smile before leaving the family to their happiness.

"Do you want to hold him?" Ichigo asked and Orihime nodded before scooching back so that she could sit up and hold her newly named son in her arms. Despite feeling weary she enthusiastically received Kazui and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, making the little one squirm slightly at the new sensation.

"Hello Kazui, I'm your mommy. I love you." Orihime felt tears of joy edging out of her eyes and laughed happily.

"We both love you Kazui." Ichigo added with a serene voice. "And we look forward to getting to know you. Our brave little boy."

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**Yup, another Kurosaki-family centered chapter. They are just too adorable for me to resist. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please a review if you did and have a lovely day.**


	7. Growing together

**And so we come to the end of IchiHime week 2019. I had several ideas for this one but none of them worked out in the end. So I threw this together and it kinda became a thesis statement of sorts for this entire fic and my idea of IchiHime in general. So that worked out quiet nicely I think.**

**I had a lot of fun writing these shorts, even if not all of them went exactly as I'd hoped. I just liked contributing to the IchiHime-community in some small way. Now please enjoy this last little drabble of mine.**

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Love does not merely exist in the grand and dramatic moments of a couple's life. It also needs to be so much more prevailing in the awkward pauses and drawn out stretches of quiet existence between the larger instances of romantic declaration. If this is not the case then the romance cannot grow and the pairing will ideally split to seek out better matches.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue's love lasts throughout not only the crowd pleasing highs, but also the more personal in-betweens.

After the bliss of Ichigo's confession and Orihime's reciprocation winded down, there was awkwardness. Upon meeting each other blushes and stuttering speech become much more frequent for the both of them. They were only exceedingly sensitive to their own emotional shortcomings while being nearly blind to their partner's equally flustered behavior. This frustrating, for their supportive friends looking on, behavior ended about one month into the relationship when their hands bumped into each other during a stroll through the park and both of them took it as a wish of holding hands from the other and so a desperate five second struggle ended with the two of them tightly grasping at each other's shoulder. The colossal yet simultaneously minimal misunderstanding lead to a laughing fit from Ichigo and Orihime once they realized what they were doing, which seemingly caused all their nervousness to be expunged as they relaxed more around their lover from then on.

Moving in with one another was the next big complication facing the couple. The biggest roadblock in this instance turned out to be their respective selflessness. Orihime didn't want Ichigo to move too far away from his family in case it would hurt them somehow while Ichigo worried about finding a place that wouldn't cause Orihime to constantly worry about her economy, and simultaneously they both wished to find a home that they thought their romantic partner would love rather than focusing on their own wishes. These often conflicting factors caused them to reject multiple possible homes that honestly would've suited them just fine. Eventually they had to sit down and confront the issues. It was a long conversation that ended with both of them promising to voice such concerns earlier and to not be afraid to focus on themselves and their desires every now and then.

The time that they're together constantly expands and they keep growing as a couple. Cooking together becomes an adventure as Ichigo learns to appreciate Orihime's offbeat sensibilities while tempering them away from becoming absurdities whenever they're acting as hosts. Handling their finances starts out as a confusing and intimidating chore for the both of them, but by working together they not only get a firm grasp of their personal economy, they also gain a new bonding experience wherein they share truly adult trials and tribulations. And the ultimate expression of intimate love is a journey filled with testing new grounds, exploring yearnings and giving in to one another in a way that they will never share with anybody else.

Ichigo and Orihime's love for one another is not simply a big, flashy and colorful fireworks display that only lasts but a brief moment, it is a perpetual source of power that not only keeps them going but also helps them grow. It will last them throughout their lives and it will mature along with them.

Their love will last forever.

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**Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you have a lovely day.**


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